There are thousands of Halloween-themed books to choose from; So many options that making a decision seems impossible, but the secret is knowing where to start. As far as horror goes, there are two categories that every story can be sorted into. Psychological stories are grounded in reality, and paranormal horror has the classic ghosts, demons, and other monsters.

  For a departure from traditional paranormal stories, “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones is about as unique as you can get. The novel focuses on a friend group being picked off one by one for a mistake they made years ago. Long after they’ve forgotten the event, their sins of the past are catching up to them with one elk-human monster on the prowl for a bloody revenge.

  An immortal woman with an elk head can be terrifying to some, but ridiculous to others. Psychological horror weaves believable stories with thrill and mystery, and “Plain Bad Heroines” by Emily M. Danforth is one of the genre’s best. The narrative flips from past to present, focusing on the mysterious death of two private-school girls obsessed with a controversial author. Years later, a movie is being made about their story, but the cast and crew soon discover that some stones should remain unturned.

  A list of Halloween reads wouldn’t be complete without a Stephen King novel, nor would it be complete without vampires. “Salem’s Lot” is an iconic work that provides both. In an interview with Playboy magazine, Stephen King called “Salem’s Lot” his favorite novel he’s ever written, and it’s easy to see why. The plot is simple, yet highly entertaining, and the reason it stands out from his other novels is the sense of dread. It features a writer returning to his small town to find an aggressive infestation of vampires. He assembles a team of ragtag townspeople to try and fight back, but of course not everyone can survive. Even almost 50 years after being published, this story definitely holds up, and remains a classic among the best that horror has to offer.

  More jumpy readers may not want what horror has to offer. For them, “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman is a perfect non-scary book that still embodies the spirit of Halloween. This story has everything from friendly grandparent ghosts, to a stern yet gentle guardian vampire watching over a little boy who lives in a graveyard. But Nobody Owens’ quaint life of solitude is haunted by the murder of his family, and a sinister “Man Called Jack” who is looking for him. But everything will be just fine as long as he stays in the graveyard and doesn’t wander, which children are known to be excellent at doing.

  It’s an intriguing story, but maybe not one you’re willing to sit down and read. Luckily, there’s a large selection of horror and Halloween graphic novels. Not only does “The Graveyard Book” have a comic version, but there are plenty of darker stories to choose from. “Wytches” by Scott Snider will take everything you think you know about witches, and make it ten times scarier. It’s common knowledge that witches eat children, but many don’t know that human sacrifices can be traded for favors and dark blessings. Not just any human sacrifice, but a loved one. Sailor is one such sacrifice, who manages to escape being “pledged” and is now on the run from witches.

  Hopefully this batch of recommendations has been a blessing to the readers that are a little lost in this season of the unknown. Whether you’re looking to scare yourself to death or secure a full and safe night of sleep, Cat Talk wishes you a Happy Halloween!